Better Than: Packing into yet another dance club and emptying your wallet.

The Review:

I have only good things to say about the So Raw Festival, which celebrated its inaugural edition last weekend across Miami's urban wilds. The scrappy, triumphant, zero-bullshit vibe of the two-day event was a welcome reminder of what "indie" really stands for -- independent! Thank the organizers of this festival for providing a fun, music-oriented event outside of the usual circuit of overcrowded dance nights with expensive drinks.

South Florida has been plagued historically by a lot of complainers, people who would rather whine through their overpriced vodka than actually do much. Lately, though, that's changed, with homegrown festivals like Swamp Stomp and now, So Raw, geting truly into the d.i.y. -- do-it-yourself -- spirit. What impressed, too, was the scope of this event -- three shows across two days, at two different venues. And the lineup was about 75 percent local, but also featured touring acts from as far away as Ireland.

Did I mention what an excellent financial deal this was as well? A

weekend pass was just $18, and even the free drinks included with that

were good. For the free vodka, there was even a choice of Red Bull

mixers -- regular and sugar free. Woo. And when that ran out,

far into each evening, there was plenty of Naragansett beer left, which

was ... okay-tasting, but, hey, free.

Oh yeah, the music

itself. There were six or more bands at the Friday and Saturday night

shows, at 'ISM Gallery in Wynwood. (I skipped the Saturday afternoon

show at the Upper Eastside Garden -- sorry, but it was too hot

to stand outside at noon). It was hard to count the distinct acts

because it was clear they were all part of an emerging small scene. The